Nick Saban asks media to write about Alabama’s flaws after big win

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama coach Nick Saban closed his postgame news conference on Saturday night by asking the media to write about what his team is not doing well for a change.

Never mind that the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide had just improved to 4-0 on the season by dominating No. 22 Texas A&M, 45-23, at home. Saban wanted to focus on the negative after the win.

“I don’t want to get into the rat poison again,” Saban said, referring to the now infamous mini-rant he went on following a win at Texas A&M last season. “We have a good team, but our team needs to do a lot of things to improve, all right?

“If what our team has accomplished to this point makes them in any way not take into account the kind of teams that we have to play in the future and they underestimate what we need to do to improve so that we can become a better team and don’t just take things for granted, all right, that we’re going to show up because we have an Alabama uniform on and win the game. It’s not going to happen that way, and it’s going to be everyone’s choice in the organization.

“So I would appreciate it if you would sort of look at some of the things we didn’t so well, all right, and write about that so I can show it to the players and say, ‘Look here, man. Here’s something you can do better.'”

Nick Saban is wary about his team becoming complacent after a 4-0 start. AP Photo/Butch Dill

Alabama has run roughshod over the early part of its schedule, outscoring teams by an average of 41 points per game.

Asked if this was the best offense he’s ever coached, Saban said he wasn’t ready to go there and make comparisons.

Alabama may have beaten Texas A&M by three touchdowns, but Saban said his team didn’t “control the game.”

Tight end Hale Hentges, who caught two touchdowns during the win, laughed when he heard Saban’s comments but acknowledged that there is room for improvement.

“We could work on a lot of things,” Hentges said. “That’s consistency moving the ball. A lot of times today we were a bit rocky, and that’s a testament to Texas A&M’s great defense. But overall we need to be more consistent. Running the ball, we can get better on, especially at the tight end position we can get better blocking.”

Alabama hosts Louisiana on Saturday but isn’t likely to face a ranked team again until the first Saturday of November, when the Tide go on the road to LSU.